The Abbey Walk

This poem was written in Middle Scots, and I have my translation and, below, the original version.

Translation

Alone as I went up and down,
In an abbey so fair to see,
Thinking what consolation,
Was best when in adversity,
By chance I cast aside mine eye,
And saw this writing upon a wall--
"Of what estate, man, that thou be,
Obey and thank thy God of all!

"Thy kingdom and thy great empire,
Thy royalty nor rich array,
Shall not endure at thy desire,
But as the wind will fly away,
Thy gold and all thy goods gay,
When fortune wishes will from you fall,
Since thou such examples see each day,
Obey and thank thy God of all!

"Job was most rich in writ we find,
Tobias most full of charity,
Job grew poor and Tobias went blind--
Both tempted with adversity:
Sent blindness and infirmity,
And poverty was natural,
Therefore in patience both he and he,
Obeyed and thanked the God of all!

"Though thou be blind or have a halt,
Or in thy face deformed ill,
So it come not through thy fault,
No man should reprove you by skill:
Blame not thy lord, so is his will,
Spur not thy foot aganist the wall,
But with meek heart and prayer still,
Obey and thank thy God of all!

"God of His justice must correct,
And of His mercy pity has,
He is a Judge to none except,
To punish sinful man and save,
Though thou be lord above the others,
But afterwards made bond and thrall,
A poor beggar with scrip and staff--
Obey and thank thy God of all!

"This changing and great variance,
Of earthly states both up and down,
Is nought but casualty and chance,
(As some men say without reason),
But be the great provision,
Of God above that reveals us all,
Therefore ever thou make the boon,
To obey and thank thy God of all!

"In wealth be meek, pride not thyself,
Be glad in wilful poverty,
Thy power and thy worldly self,
Is nought but very vanity-
Remember Him that died on tree,
For thy sake drank bitter gall,
Who exalts the lowly and lowers high,
Obey and thank thy God of all!"

Original Version

Allone as i went vp and doun
In ane abbay wes fair to se
Thinkand quhat consolatioun
Wes best in to aduersitie
On cais i kest on syd myne e
And saw this writtin vpoun a wall
Off quhat estait man that thow be
Obey and thank thi god off all

Thy kindome and thy grit empyre
Thy ryeltie nor rich array
Sall nocht indure at thi desyre
Bot as the wind will wend away
Thy gold and all thi gudis gay
Quhen fortoun list will fra the fall
Sen thow sic sampillis seyis ilk day
Obey and thank thi god of all

Iob was moist riche in writ we find
Thobe moist full of cheretie
Iob wox peur and thoby blynd
Baith temptit with aduersitie
Sen blindnes wes infirmitie
And povertie was naturall
Thairfoir in patience baith he and he
Obeid and thankit god of all

Thocht thow be blind or haif ane halt
Or in thy face deformit ill
Sa it cum nocht throw thy defalt
Na man sowld the repreif by skill
Blame nocht thy lord sa is his will
Spur nocht thy fute aganis the wall
Bot with meik hairt and prayar still
Obey and thank thy god of all

God of his iustice mon correct
And of his mercy petie haif
He is ane iuge to nane suspect
To pvneis synffull man and saif
Thocht thow be lord attouir the laif
And eftirwart maid bund and thrall
Ane peure begger with skrip and staif
Obey and thank thy god of all

This changeing and grit variance
Of erdly staitis vp and doun
Is nocht bot casualitie and chance
As sum men sayis withowt ressoun
Bot be the grit prouisioun
Of god aboif that rewill the sall
Thairfoir evir thow mak the boun
To obey and thank thy god of all

In welth be meik heiche not thy self
Be glaid in wilfull povertie
Thy power and thy warldlie pelf
Is nocht bot verry vanitie
Remembir him that deit on tre
For thy saik gustit bittir gall
Quha hyis law and lawis he
Obey and thank thy god of all

© Rev Emma McCarthy, 2003. All content on this site, except for material written by others and designated as such, is copyleft under the provisions of the GNU General Public License. This means you can reproduce it in any form you wish, provided that you retain the copyright information.